Compared to an international regatta on a still lake, where the boats stay in lanes and go in a straight line, this is a twisting course against the current and without lanes, which adds another tactical dimension.

Between the optimist & the pessimist
The difference is quite droll:
The optimist sees the doughnut,
The pessimist sees the hole.

I once worked at Oxford. The percentage of arrogant stuck up students was way too high. Trouble is, Cambridge will be no different.

Seems to me that:
- Both places hire rowing mercenaries by offering them dubious-value degree courses.
- The non-mercenaries will almost certainly have learnt the sport at top public schools.
- If it's so important how come the average sports fan in the street can't tell you who won last year.
- It's an anachronistic exercise in watching commoners touching their collective forelock towards the upper classes.

Still, at least it generates tourist income.

I think rowing must be a fantastic sport to take part in or to watch, but this is one race I definitely won't be watching.

I once worked at Oxford. The percentage of arrogant stuck up students was way too high. Trouble is, Cambridge will be no different.

Seems to me that:- Both places hire rowing mercenaries by offering them dubious-value degree courses.- The non-mercenaries will almost certainly have learnt the sport at top public schools.- If it's so important how come the average sports fan in the street can't tell you who won last year.- It's an anachronistic exercise in watching commoners touching their collective forelock towards the upper classes.

Still, at least it generates tourist income.

I think rowing must be a fantastic sport to take part in or to watch, but this is one race I definitely won't be watching.

That's quite an interesting response. It's not that you're not interested, but that you're actively antagonistic to the event.

I find it interesting because a lot of people, in my experience, are actively antagonistic to Rugby League, obviously for different reasons.

The problem in our case is that a lot of the antagonism to our sport is found in people in influential positions.

All of that sentence? Maybe it's just me, but I get irritated by 'posh' women (and posh men for that matter). The boat race is one of those things that annoys me intensely, probably for no good reason. I would, however, watch the BBC coverage if someone threw John Inverdale into the Thames.

All of that sentence? Maybe it's just me, but I get irritated by 'posh' women (and posh men for that matter). The boat race is one of those things that annoys me intensely, probably for no good reason. I would, however, watch the BBC coverage if someone threw John Inverdale into the Thames.

This.

I can confirm 30+ less sales for Scotland vs Italy at Workington, after this afternoons test purchase for the Tonga match, £7.50 is extremely reasonable, however a £2.50 'delivery' fee for a walk in purchase is beyond taking the mickey, good luck with that, it's cheaper on the telly.

All of that sentence? Maybe it's just me, but I get irritated by 'posh' women (and posh men for that matter). The boat race is one of those things that annoys me intensely, probably for no good reason. I would, however, watch the BBC coverage if someone threw John Inverdale into the Thames.

Hmmm ... I think we can all agree that the BBC's coverage of anything would be vastly improved by the throwing of John Inverdale into the Thames.

No interest in it. Like others, I have a massive chip on my shoulder about the privileged upper class.

Of course, and as you well know, not everyone at Oxford is a member of the privileged upper class.

The Boat Race was a nice excuse to get drunk when I was an undergrad, but not fussed now. Can't recall who won it last year, and doubt I'll be watching it this year.

One thing I've always found odd is why people with no connection to either Uni support one side or the other? I can see the human drama of the event - it's bloody tough stuff, and those boys genuinely train hard for it and sacrifice a lot - but actively supporting one boat seems very odd to me.